It's Not That Easy
by coffeychild
Summary: Erin Potter is home from studying aboard. Her brother, James Potter, is thrilled that she's home. But after an awkward meeting with one of his friends, will things turn out alright? Or will everything get awkward? RL/HG, JP/LE Slightly AU


This is the first fanfiction that I've decided to write. I am, however, a writer by trade, so I hope that you don't think it's absolutely terrible. I usually write plays, but there's a first time fore everything.

The story is slightly AU and I'm taking creative liberties with my characters. But I do hope you enjoy! (Let me know what you think? Reviews are awesome.)

* * *

Erin walked into the Leaky Cauldron. She'd just gotten back from graduation at her school, the Salem Witches Academy. Erin hadn't been home to see her family in England since the prior summer. It wasn't a hard choice to study abroad, her mother had been from the States and she felt an obligation to get back to her roots. It wasn't enough, however, to keep her from coming straight home after graduation.

For now, she was happy to be sitting at the Leaky Cauldron, sipping on a butterbeer. She wanted some time to herself, some time to think, before she walked into her home tomorrow. She always felt strange around her stepmother. It was a weird situation, as she was the child of her father's affair with an American woman.

'Oh well,' she thought to herself, 'it's life, I've got to deal with it.'

A young man sat down at the bar, just a few seats down, and smiled at her. She smirked. He was quite good looking with his sandy brown hair and scruffy beard.

"Can I get a firewhiskey?" the young man asked the bartender with his deep voice.

Erin looked over at him, "Little strong for the afternoon, isn't it?"

He laughed, "Probably," he took the shot and tossed it back, "but you know, what are you gonna do?"

"Two firewhiskeys." He looked at her with surprise. She smiled. "What? I'm not going to let you drink alone."

He got up from his seat and moved closer to her.

"Anything for a lady." He smiled. God, did he have a great smile, Erin though to herself. He really was handsome, though, you wouldn't have known it from the way he held himself. Slouched shoulders, with the shaggy hair. You couldn't really see his face.

"Cheers." She held up her glass to his.

"Cheers," he paused as he raised to his lips, "but what are we toasting to on this fine day?"

"To new friends."

"To new friends."

Erin smacked her glass down on the table. "Another?"

"Sure, why not?"

* * *

Erin awoke in her room at the Leaky Cauldron. How she got there, she could not remember. What happened the night before, well, she couldn't remember that either. As her morning became clearer, she felt a weight on her stomach. Slowly, she looked down. There was an arm. There was an arm on her stomach, which meant –

'Oh shit. Oh shit,' there was a arm which meant there was a body. 'Oh shit. What HAD happened last night?'

Erin didn't want to wake him. No, she wanted out of there before that. As she gently lifted his arm, she was able to get a look at his face. It was the guy from the bar last night. He did look sort of sweet, just sleeping there –

'No. No, no, no. I can't do this – this is,' She paused and tried to figure out the situation, 'I don't even know his name.'

She quickly jumped out of bed, realizing that she was wearing his shirt. Throwing it off, she gathered her clothes from the floor, grabbed her overnight bag and headed for the bathroom.

When she re-emerged from the bathroom, showered and changed, she looked over at the bed and smiled. He was snoring softly. He looked so – 'No.'

She quickly scratched down a note, saying she left and that the room had been paid for. Erin grabbed her bad and apparated out of the room.

* * *

Before heading home, Erin went shopping in muggle London. This had been her original plan, an almost graduation present to herself, but after the morning she'd had, it was going to serve another purpose. Time to think.

As Erin tore through racks of clothes, she thought about the night before. What HAD happened? She honestly couldn't remember much past a few shots of firewhiskey.

She'd never done anything like that before and didn't intend to make a habit of it.

She was quite glad that he slept through her getting ready that morning – she didn't want to have to make awkward conversation.

She pulled a pretty royal blue dress of the rack. A cute strapless number that flared out just above the knee. The color would look beautiful with her pale, ivory skin and her deep brown hair. The dress was almost the same color as her eyes.

'This is it, this will be perfect for dinner tonight.'

She quickly took the dress to the counter.

"Would it be possible for me to wear the dress out?"

The shopkeeper smiled. "Like it that much? Of course, let me just ring you up."

As soon as Erin had walked out of the store, feeling great in her new dress, she saw a small owl flutter down, drop a letter at her feet, and disappear as quickly as he'd appeared.

'They couldn't be more obvious, could they?'

She grabbed the envelope off the ground and gently opened it.

_Erin,_

_ Your father and I were hoping you'd be home by 2 for tea._

_ Love, Mothe_r

She looked at her watch. 'Well, I'd better get going.' Walking a little further down the street, Erin spotted an alley, and quickly ducked down before apparating to her ancestral home.

* * *

'Let's hope this goes well,' Erin thought as she walked up to a large, cottage like home in Godric's Hollow.

As soon as she'd opened the gate, an older man appeared at the door.

"Erin, my girl!"

Erin smiled, forgetting the morning, and running towards the man.

"Daddy!" She dropped her bags and fell into his arms. "Oh, Daddy, I'm so glad to be home."

"I'm so glad to have you home. My girl," He pulled back from the hug, his hands on her shoulders, "my little girl is all grown up."

"Daddy, I'll always be your little girl."

"I know, but that doesn't change the fact that you're all grown up."

Erin began to blush.

"Do I hear my baby sister?" A voice came from within the house.

A smile came to Erin's face. She adored her older brother. He had always been wonderful to her.

A young man, not much older than Erin herself, with dark, disheveled hair, appeared in the doorway. He smirked as he leaned against the doorframe and pushed up his glasses.

"James!" Erin shouted as she rushed towards him. He pulled her into a hug.

"You know," he whispered into her ear, "as your brother, I'm not sure I can allow you to wear that dress in public."

She pulled out of the hug and gently smacked him on the arm.

"Come on, let's go in. There's someone else just dying to see you."

Erin rolled her eyes at James. As soon as she was through the doorway, there was a body hugging her.

"Can't. Breathe," she managed to get out.

"Alright there, Sirius. Give the girl some room, she just walked through the door," said Erin's father, as he walked in the door behind them.

"Aww, come on Mr. P, I just missed her, that's all," pouted Sirius, as he let Erin out of the hug.

"Thanks, Sirius. I really wanted to suffocate as I walked through the doorway."

"It was my pleasure."

"Git," she smirked.

"You know you love me," he said, tossing back his dark, curly hair.

"I'd love you more if you got a hair cut."

"You wound me, fair maiden!"

"Sirius, I need my sister, so knock it off," said James, as he pulled her away from Sirius, "Erin, I want to introduce you to Lily."

"Fine, I'll just go help Mrs. P in the kitchen!" Sirius yelled as he stamped out of the room.

"You just want to eat," James yelled after him.

From behind James appeared a tall, slender redhead with beautiful green eyes.

"Erin, this is Lily," James said as he motioned to Lily, "And Lily, this is my little sister Erin."

"Not much littler, James," Erin said smiling, "it's nice to meet you. I've heard all wonderful things."

"I've heard nothing but good about you as well," said Lily nervously, "any girl's got a lot to live up to when James has a sister as amazing as you."

"Well I like you already," Erin laughingly said, before pulling Lily into a hug. James, however, quickly pulled them apart.

"Erin, you have to meet Peter and Remus too."

"You've really invited everyone over, haven't you?"

"Only the best for my little sister," he paused and turned towards the hallway, "REMUS, PETER, GET OUT HERE. SHE'S HOME!"

"They're coming. Those two get caught up in a game of wizard chess and you can't get them away."

A small, mousy boy skidded into the room.

"Erin, Peter. Peter, Erin," James said smiling.

Peter nervously walked over to Erin and put out his hand. She grabbed his hand and pulled him into a hug, causing James and Lily to laugh.

"Remus! REMUS," James shouted, "oh, there you are. Remus this is my sister Erin."

Erin turned from her hug with Peter, to see, standing in the hallway, the boy from last night. The boy she'd gotten drunk with. The boy she woke up next to, wearing his shirt, that very morning. It took everything she had to hide her look of shock.

He wasn't so lucky.

"Remus, what's wrong?" Peter asked innocently.

"Oh, nothing," Remus turned to James, "you didn't tell me your sister was so stunning."

James laughed, "No funny business with my sister Remus, or I'll have to kill you."

"Nice to meet you, Remus," Erin said nervously.

"Nice to meet you too."

"What? No hug for Remus?" James said in a teasing tone.

Erin smiled awkwardly and gave Remus an even more awkward hug.

As soon as they'd broken apart, a woman's voice was heard from the kitchen.

"Sirius Black, I ought to hex you now!"

"Well, that'll be Mum," James frowned.

"Why can't Sirius leave her alone?" Erin asked.

"No idea. He enjoys being a git," Remus said. Erin laughed, met eyes with Remus, and quickly stopped.

"I guess we'd better go help her," Lily said quietly.

"Yeah. We'd better," James said, "she needs to be saved. MUM!"

Lily and Peter followed James out of the living room, and towards the kitchen.

Remus grabbed Erin's arm before she could dart out of the room.

"We need to talk," Remus said simply.

"Probably," Erin replied before hurrying out of the room.

Remus stood there for a moment, contemplating what had just happen and what had happened the night before.

He had gotten drunk with James' sister.

He had gotten drunk with James' sister and woken up in her room.

He had gotten drunk with James' sister and woken up in her hotel room, alone.

"Remus, what's wrong?" Sirius asked as he walked into the living room, covered in flour.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking."

"She's sweet, isn't she?"

"Who?"

"Dumbledore's girlfriend."

Remus looked at him confused.

"James' sister, Erin, who else would I be talking about?"

"Oh, yeah, she's great."

"Come on," Sirius said, walking about into the hall, "almost time for tea."

Remus followed, still thinking about the events of the night before.


End file.
